Columns Archives - Page 9 of 30 - San Lorenzo Valley Post

chinese laborer in the santa cruz mountains

China Grade and the Chinese in Boulder Creek | Local History

May 30, 2023June 6, 2023 slvpost.comhistory0 comment

by Lisa Robinson Between 1884 and 1885, Winfield Scott Rodgers, brother of Charles Campbell Rodgers who founded the Mountain Echo Newspaper, built a road from his timber claim on the headwaters of Boulder Creek, to the county road at the “Sequoia settlement.” Initially about two and a half miles long and costing $1,500, Rodgers built the road with “three hired… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

Fermenting at Home: What’s the Point?

May 29, 2023June 6, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Tom Andersen So, what is the point of fermentation, especially home fermentation? We can buy beer; we can buy pickles; we can buy yogurt, sourdough bread and cheese, salami, sauerkraut, sake, and even plum wine. Why make it myself? First, let’s just briefly describe what it is and how it works. Fermentation has been used by humans to preserve… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Nettle Souffle

May 18, 2023June 13, 2023 slvpost.comFood, recipes0 comment

By Alison Steele I’m at the beck and call of spring sunshine as the earth warms and the sweet scent of berry blossoms wafts through the garden. It’s time to free up the blueberries as they intertwine with the nettles in a delicate dance of time and space. At the peak of their nutrition, I pull the nettles as the… Read More

Column: Gale McCreary Columns Wildlife

The Miracles of Mallard Motherhood

May 13, 2023June 3, 2023 slvpost.commallards, motherhood, san lorenzo valley, wildlife0 comment

By Gale McCreary As raucous blue jays argue over nesting sites and crows convene in swarthy flocks, a lone duck can be seen drifting along the river’s edge quacking. She is announcing her availability, not that common for a Mallard hen. These drab-coated females usually are claimed by handsome green-headed drakes early in the season and remain paired with them… Read More

Column: Josh Reilly Columns Gardening

Showtime in the Garden: May Blooms and Vegetable Garden Bliss

May 12, 2023June 7, 2023 slvpost.comgardening0 comment

By Josh Reilly It’s showtime! We’ve spent the long, cold Winter peeking out the window through the downpour at leafless stems, shoots, and branches. And mud. We’ve allowed ourselves a little advance joy with each new leaf or flower bud that we see in March and the big warm-up, April. Then comes May. It’s a bit like that moment when… Read More

Column: MC Dwyer Columns Real Estate

May Real Estate Update

May 7, 2023September 28, 2023 slvpost.comreal estate0 comment

By M.C. Dwyer Local average home prices are about 10-20% lower than a year ago, varying widely depending on location, price range, and condition. Softer prices are largely the result of fewer pandemic-motivated buyers as well as the impact of higher mortgage rates dampening buyers’ financial capacity. When looking at the chart below, remember some towns are so small that… Read More

Astrology Columns

Cosmic Energy Abounds Throughout the Month of May

May 2, 2023May 28, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Catie Cadge, PhD Springtime greetings, stargazers! May begins in Taurus season and we have a lot of cosmic energy in the sign of the bull all month. Mercury, the planet of perception and communication, continues in its retrograde dance in early Taurus. Reconsider how you relax, calm down and find peace. Collectively, there is push and pull around our… Read More

Columns Theater

The Magic of Theater Right Here in The Valley

April 30, 2023May 13, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Ed Levy A wellspring of theatrical art flows from Mountain Community Theater (MCT) at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. A treasure trove of comedy, tragedy, musical theater, lights, sound, and visuals, MCT provides opportunities to participate in and learn stagecraft alongside local thespian luminaries. Formed in 1982, founding members included Steve Brenner, Randy Birch, Albert Kent, Paul Sampson, Peter… Read More

Felton Discovery Park photo by Marielle Martin

Columns Gardening

Starting and Tending Your Native Pollinator Garden

April 19, 2023May 7, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Marielle Martin In the Santa Cruz Mountains, April is a great time to start or rejuvenate a native pollinator garden. During spring’s cooler months, the soil is still warm enough for root growth, but air temps are cool enough to prevent excessive water loss from plants. Additionally, many California native plants are adapted to a winter rainfall pattern, and… Read More

Columns History Local History

The Mountain Echo Fig Leaf Editions

April 16, 2023May 2, 2023 slvpost.commountain echo0 comment

By Ronnie Trubek 18 year old newspaper model, Miss Helena Farrell, displays three issues of the Mountain Echo, the Boulder Creek newspaper, published November 11, 18, and 25, 1916. After the turn-of-the-century lumber boom collapsed, Luther McQuesten, the final publisher and editor, would not buy newsprint due to “the high cost of papers and the delinquency of quite a few… Read More